Species library › Encephalartos › Encephalartos laevifolius

Encephalartos laevifolius

The Kaapsehoop cycad, a slow, blue-grey cycad from the misty grassland ridges of Mpumalanga and Eswatini, now critically endangered after heavy poaching. In cultivation it wants full sun, a gritty mix and a dry, cool winter.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Rocky quartzite outcrops in high, mist-prone grassland, in full sun. Built mainly from the genus and the species' known Kaapsehoop habitat; the measured climate site is probably not wild.

Known habitat lies at about 1300–1600 m; the climate site is at 1300 m.

South AfricaMpumalangaLimpopoEswatini

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, unmodified.